Pedagogy for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can vary between schools. There are several different approaches
to planning an appropriate curriculum for children with ASD.
Recent research by The Schools Network into children with complex learning disabilities and difficulties has resulted in a
wealth of information and resources being available to professionals via their website.
Reference to such information can inform classroom practice taking place in classrooms and enable professionals to plan more
effectively to meet the needs of this population of learners.
Many approaches have as their central premise the notion that an ASD is a lifelong developmental condition and so focus on a compensatory approach, which builds on the strengths of children with ASD, i.e. responding well to routine, structure and predictability.
Well known approaches are TEACCH
and ABA, in which structure and routine are reinforced by use of symbols and
other visual supports such as timetables.
These are discussed below.
Read the briefing sheets on ASD below .
Autism classroom support sheet
Think about what the implications would be for a teacher planning to meet the needs of a class of children, many of whom have a diagnosis of autism.
Have a look at these websites and see what the current thinking is towards educational approaches for children with ASD.